Although not as popular as the slots , video poker is one of the most player-friendly games in online casinos. Smart play in a video poker casino can result in a house advantage much lower than any other casino game available. Factor in comps and bonuses, and online casino video poker has the potential to be a positive expectation game.

Best Online Casinos

On this page is a list of the best online casinos for video poker. The graphics and sound effects of the free casino video poker in most online casinos are rarely amazing, so this list instead focuses on casinos that provide the best rules and payouts for video poker. Each variant of video poker has its own take on video poker rules. Fortunately, most machines use the same set of basic rules so people do not have to start from scratch when they try a new machine. In this section, the basics of video poker are covered.

How to Play

The majority of video poker machines are variants of five card draw poker and Jacks or Better video poker. Put some money in the video poker machine, press the "draw" button and five cards will be dealt at random. Keep as many of those cards as are wanted and then draw new cards. The final hand is then compared to the pay table to determine the payout. Most video poker machines start the payouts when a pair of Jacks or better is achieved, meaning payouts are not given for single pairs if they are ranked 10 or lower. Once a pair of Jacks or greater is hit, the payouts begin. The stronger the final hand is, the higher the payout.

Certain video poker variants start the payouts at three of a kind or better. These machines typically have some kind of wild card, so they have to increase the minimum hand for a payout. From the player's viewpoint, the downside of a higher minimum hand is balanced by the benefit of wild cards.